The present invention relates to an operation input processing apparatus and method that is applicable to operation input processing apparatuses such as automatic issuance machines for issuing, for example, concert tickets in response to users"" input operations.
Automatic issuance machines have been proposed which automatically issue tickets for concerts or the like in response to users"" input operations. To buy a ticket, a user first obtains, based on a contract, a credit card issued by an administration company that administrates the automatic issuance machines. Subsequently, in buying a ticket, the user can insert the obtained credit card into an automatic issuance machine installed, for example, at a retail shop and input the contents of the concert in accordance with instructions on a touch panel, so that the automatic issuance machine issues the ticket. Payment is settled with the credit card.
As shown in FIG. 16, a conventional automatic issuance machine 1 has a signal processing section 2 comprising a personal computer that has its central processing unit (CPU) to control the operation of the entire automatic issuance machine 1 using software resources stored in a hard disc 3 and comprising an operating system (OS), programs, and application programs for operating the automatic issuance machine 1.
A display section 4 has a display screen having a touch panel screen to display screens based on commands from the signal processing section 2 or communicate to the signal processing section 2 a user""s input operation information input via the display screens.
A card reader 5 has a card insertion device for a credit card issued based on a contract with an administration company that administrates the automatic issuance machine 1 and reads identification information for identifying the user and which has been written to the credit card inserted into the card insertion device, to communicate the identification information to the signal processing section 2.
A printer 6 issues a ticket for a concert or the like in accordance with the information from the signal processing section 2. An uninterruptive power supply 7 retains the operation of the automatic issuance machine 1 for a predetermined amount of time when a power supply is turned off, and notifies the signal processing section 2 that the power supply has been turned off to allow it to carry out a shutdown process that is a preprocess for power turn-off.
The signal processing section 2 is connected via a modem 8 to a transmission line 9 comprising, for example, a public line to transmit data to a host computer installed in a center after the data has been modulated by the modem 8 and to receive signals transmitted from the host computer after the signals have been demodulated by the modem 8.
Thus, when the credit card is inserted into the card reader 5, the signal processing section 2 transmits the identification information read out from the credit card to the host computer via the modem 8 and transmission line 9.
The automatic issuance machine 1 has the uninterruptive power supply 7 because, for example, a operation administrator who administrates the operation of the automatic issuance machine 1 may mistakenly turn off the power supply without executing any shutdown process (the preprocess for power turn-off). The uninterruptive power supply 7 notifies the signal processing section 2 that the power supply has been turned off, to allow it to carry out the shutdown process, thereby preventing a failure in a drive section for the hard disc 3.
When the power supply is turned off without executing any shutdown process, a magnetic head for data reads and writes may come in contact with the rotating hard disc 3 to damage it, thereby destroying programs recorded thereon. If in particular a storage area of the operating system is damaged, irrecoverable failure may occur; for example, the signal processing section 2 cannot start up the automatic issuance machine 1.
Consequently, even with the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the general configuration and maintenance work may be complicated due to the needs for the uninterruptive power supply 7 and the hard disc 3.
The present invention is achieved in light of these points, and it is an object thereof to provide an operation input processing apparatus and method that are much more reliable than the prior art and that have a much simpler and more convenient configuration and maintenance work.
To attain this object, the present invention provides an operation input processing apparatus 10 for executing processing depending on a user""s operation input using a portion of plural first program data stored in a basic program storage section 21, the apparatus comprising a simulation device section 11 for extracting the portion of the program data from the basic program storage section 21 to create new second program data, process program distribution memory sections 12 (12A, 12B, 12C, . . . ) each removably connected to the simulation device section 11 to store the second program data created by the simulation device section 11, and operation input processing sections 13 (13A, 13B, 13C, . . . ) each having connected thereto a corresponding one of the process program distribution memory sections 12 (12A, 12B, 12C, . . . ) removed from the simulation device section 11 to store in first memory means 33C the second program data stored in the process program distribution memory section 12 (12A, 12B, 12C, . . . ) in order to execute the processing depending on the user""s operation input using the second program data in the first memory means 33C.
The program data in the basic program storage section 21 can partly be extracted to create the new program data, which is then stored in the process program distribution memory sections 12 (12A, 12B, 12C, . . . ), and the process program distribution memory sections 12 (12A, 12B, 12C, . . . ) can each be connected to a corresponding one of the operation input processing sections 13 (13A, 13B, 13C, . . . ) so as to supply the stored new program data thereto. Consequently, an operation input processing apparatus 10 can be easily realized which enables the program data used by the operation input processing sections 13 (13A, 13B, 13C, . . . ) to be easily supplied from the basic program storage section 21 without destruction even if an abnormal condition occurs, for example, the power supply to the operation input processing sections 13 (13A, 13B, 13C, . . . ) are inadvertently turned off.
Furthermore, the present invention comprises simulation device means 41 operating when using first program data stored in a basic program storage section 41B to allow a testing operation input execution section 41C to perform a simulation operation, to extract from the first program data second program data used for the simulation operation, process program distribution memory means 42 (42A, 42B, 42C, . . . ) for storing as third program data the second program data extracted by the simulation device means 41, and operation input processing means 43 (43A, 43B, 43C, . . . ) for receiving the third program data from the process program distribution memory means 42 (42A, 42B, 42C, . . . ) as externally supplied data to drive and control the operation input execution section 63, in which when a user performs an input operation on the operation input processing means 43 (43A, 43B, 43C, . . . ), the first program data in the basic program storage section 41B is partly used to drive and control the operation input execution section 63.
The program data corresponding to the read command provided for the basic program storage section 41B is stored when the testing operation input execution section 41C is allowed to perform the simulation operation so that the first program data stored in the basic program storage section 41B can be partly extracted and supplied to the operation input processing means 43 (43A, 43B, 43C, . . . ) via the process program distribution memory means 42 as externally supplied data. The program data in the basic program storage section 41B can thereby be simply and safely supplied to the plurality of operation input processing means 43 (43A, 43B, 43C, . . . ) without damage to the program data in the basic program storage section 11B.
As a result, the operation input processing means 43 (43A, 43B, 43C, . . . ) can modify the program data and can be easily used by the user.
Still further, the present invention comprises initializing an access date for first program data stored in basic program storage means 71B, to one different from a test execution date, operating when the first program data is partly used to operate a test execution means 71C, to rewrite an access date for second program data of the first program data in the basic program storage means 71B which second program data has been used for a test operation, to the test execution date, copying the second program data of the first program data in the basic program storage means 71B for which second program data the access date is the same as the test execution date, to a process program distribution memory means 72 as third program data, allowing operation input processing means 73 to receive the third program data from the process program distribution memory means 72 as externally supplied program data, and when a user operates the operation input processing means 73 for input, allowing the operation input processing means 73 to execute the externally supplied program data to drive and control an operation input execution section 83.
In extracting the second program data from the first program data in the basic program storage section 71B, the second program data being used to drive and control the operation input execution means 83, the access date for the first program data is initialized to one different from the test execution date, thereby allowing the second program data to be extracted easily.
Further yet, the present invention comprises the steps of: allowing, in a test execution processing section 91A comprising a personal computer, test execution means 91C to operate using second program data comprising part of first program data stored in basic program storage means 91B; using the test execution processing section 91A to create inside the personal computer an access determination table 91F representing a first address of that memory area of the basic program storage section 91B in which the second program date are stored in a manner such that the first address is differentiated from other second addresses; copying second program date with the first address from the basic program storage means 91B to process program distribution memory means 92 as third program data, based on contents of the access determination table 91F; and inputting the third program data from the process program distribution memory means 92 to an operation input processing means 93 as externally supplied program data, in which, the operation input process means executes the externally supplied program data to drive and control an operation input execution section 103 when a user operates the operation input processing means 93 for input.
In extracting from the first program data in the basic program storage means 91B the second program data required to drive and control the operation input execution means 103, the access determination table 91F is created inside the test execution processing means 91A comprising the personal computer and the second program data are extracted based on the access determination table 91F, thereby allowing the second program data to be easily extracted.